Online Dressage Training at Dressage Mentor

4 Tips for Riding a Great Dressage Test

When it comes to riding a polished dressage test, preparation is the key to success.  So I want give you some competition tips to help you have the best experience possible.

Before I get started with the actual tests, I want to just talk in general about riding dressage tests because there’s a lot of things that they all have in common.

1. MEMORIZE YOUR TEST
The first thing is that you need to know your test. I mean REALLY know it. Even though from Training Level through 4th level, you can have some read your test out loud, it’s still important that you really know your test. This is critical so your test doesn’t look like a bunch of movements strung together.

That way you can use the reader if you occasionally blank out. But for the most part, you won’t even be listening to the reader because you’ll be paying attention to
your horse.

So you want to be able to do the dressage test on autopilot, so that you can reserve all of your focus for riding your horse. You want to be riding your horse not
concentrating on what comes next in the pattern.

To help you do this, start memorizing your test early on.

I have 3 different ways that I memorize tests. They include:

1. Visualization-I know that it takes approximately 21 days to develop a habit. So I start visualizing my dressage test every day at least 3 weeks before a show. I sit in an easy chair or lie down on my bed, close my eyes, and take 3 really deep breaths.

You want to do diaphragmatic breathing, so as you inhale, feel like your stomach is getting fat. That means you’re taking air way down into the bottom of your lungs. As you exhale, feel yourself sinking into the chair or bed.

Visualizing your dressage test is going to help you do two things. First, it’s going to help you memorize your test. Secondly, when you visualize the perfect ride, you program your subconscious mind to ride correctly. That’s because when you do “perfect practice” in your mind’s eye, your muscles will fire in the correct way.

As you visualize, go through your dressage test stride for stride. Fill in as much detail as you can.

What are you wearing? What does your horse look like? What does the arena look like? What color is your jacket? What color are your gloves?

Fill in as many details as you can AND include your senses. Hear the rhythm of the footfalls. Feel the contact with your horse’s mouth. See your horse’s head and neck out in front of you. Smell the fly spray. Also, add emotion to your mental movies.
Experience yourself feeling calm, relaxed, poised and the harmony of being at one with your horse.

2. Do your test on foot.
Another thing I do walk and trot, and canter the parts of the dressage test at home in my living room as if I were riding them.

Just mark off a rectangular  area and trot down the center line, do your halts, trot off, plan where you’re going to turn, walk where you’re supposed to walk, canter where you’re supposed to canter. So you actually have a chance to physically practice.

3. Know your dressage test “forwards and backwards”.
The third way that I memorize a test is to learn it the way it’s written from the first entry to the final salute. But then, to know that I “own” that test, I pick any movement and ask myself what comes after it.

And here’s the real thing that tells the story, I ask myself, “And what movement comes before this movement?”

So I might say, “What comes before the left canter depart?” or “What comes
before the free walk?” or “What comes after the trot lengthening?”

When you can pick any point within the dressage test and you can answer those two questions, you really own that test. Also, if you do happen to blank out in the
middle of the test, you’ll be able to remember where you are very easily.

2. THE ENTRY
Now let’s talk about the movements that all of the dressage tests have in common.

First, they all have an entry. You have to get into the arena. So I’m going to start while you’re going around the arena.

What you do as you go around the arena really depends on your horse. I find it helpful to just walk around the arena with tense horses. I know that things look
different to a horse from the left side and the right side. So, I’ll walk by the judge’s
stand then I’ll turn around and walk by so the horse can see the judge’s stand from
the other eye.

And then, I’ll actually turn and face the judge’s stand, halt, and pat my horse. I know that my horse is going to see two weird people in the judge’s booth when we
come down the centerline. I want him to have already seen them and know that he
doesn’t have to be worried.

For the horse that tends to be a little behind the leg, you might decide to do some rising trot lengthenings outside the arena. That way you can make sure that your horse is in front of the leg and that you really get his motor going.

Or let’s say you have a horse that is spooky or to tends to get a little on the forehand. Do a little shoulder-in when you’re still outside the arena.

The next thing that you have to think about is whether you’re going to enter
from the right rein or from the left rein? If your horse is fairly straight, enter from
the direction you’ll be turning at C. That will trigger your memory if you blank out
and forget which way to turn at C.

So, if I’m going to be turning right at C, I normally enter from the right rein. I enter from the left rein if I’m going to be turning left at C.

However, let’s say I have a horse that’s really hollow to the left (meaning he likes to bend his neck and carry his hind quarters to the left then); I’ll enter from the right. That’s because he’ll be straighter, and I don’t want the judge’s first impression to be that my horse is crooked.

Now, as you come down that centerline, look up, and make eye contact with the judge. This is part of showmanship. No matter how you’re really feeling, look confident, put a smile on your face, and come down that centerline like you own that arena.

Now, let’s talk about the halt. The way you approach the halt is different depending on the level of the test. If you’re doing a Training Level or Intro test, you can walk into your halt. You can also take a step or two of walk out of the halt into the trot.

From First Level and above, there are no walk steps. If you enter in the trot, go directly to the halt from the trot and then back to the trot after your salute. If you’re doing one of the higher level tests and you’re entering into the canter, go directly from canter to the halt.

Once you’re in the halt, you need to salute. The most common way to salute is to take all the reins in your left hand. Drop your right arm loosely behind your thigh. Nod your head keeping eye contact with the judge. Don’t make this big extravagant bow. You want to acknowledge the judge, but you want it to look crisp
and efficient.

A man can actually salute in the same way. He can take the reins in one hand, drop his hand loosely behind one thigh, and nod his head. Or he can take his hat off, put it behind his thigh, and nod his head. If you do take your hat off, make sure the top of the hat (not the inside of the hat) faces the judge.

Take your time in the halt so you can really show that your horse is on the aids. However, if he starts to move, go ahead and pick up the trot. You’ll get a better mark for a halt that’s too quick as compared to letting your horse move forward and then trying to halt again.

If you feel like your horse drops behind your leg in the halt, “breathe” your legs to help him react more quickly to your driving aids. To “breathe” your legs, take them ever so slightly off his sides. Bring them back an inch or two, and then place them on his sides lightly again.

As you finish your centerline, keep your horse straight. Pretend you’re going to lengthen toward the judge so you ride him between the channel of your legs and
hands.

Then warn him that he’s going either left or right by asking for flexion at the poll when you’re a couple of strides before C.

3. CORNERS AND DIAGONALS
Okay, you’re in the arena. No matter what level you’re doing, you have to ride corners. The general rule for riding corners is that you don’t have to go any deeper into the corners than the smallest circle done at each level.

So, the smallest circle you’re asked to do for First Level is a 10-meter circle. That means you need to get into the corner to the depth of one quarter of a 10-meter circle.

At Training Level, the smallest circle you’re required to do is a 20-meter circle. So you really don’t have to get into the corners any deeper than the arc of a 20-meter circle.

But if you can show a difference between the line that you follow when you’re going into a corner and the line that you follow when you’re on your 20-meter circle, you show the judge that you’re a savvy rider.

If that’s pretty simple for him, try to show a 3-meter difference between the line you’d follow if you were going into a corner and the line you’d follow if you were on a 20-meter circle. That shows a real clear difference between getting into the corner and being on a circle.

Your rule of thumb is to ride into the corner as deep as your horse can manage. That is, he can keep the same rhythm, tempo, balance and quality of his gait.

The next things that all the tests have in common are diagonal lines. Here’s what I’d suggest. First, ride deep into the corner before you turn onto the diagonal. Then look at a point about a half-meter before the final letter on the long side. Aim
for that spot when you go across the diagonal. By looking a little bit before the letter, you’ll have more time to really balance your horse for the next corner.

4. TRANSITIONS
Another thing that all the tests have in common is that you have transitions from gait to gait. And with the more advanced tests, you also have transitions within the gait.

First, let’s look at transitions from gait to gait. Always prepare for those transitions with half halts. However, the particular version of the half halt you give depends on the way your horse feels prior to the transition. This is because a transition can be no better than the stride just before the transition.

If your horse is well schooled, obedient, and is solidly on the bit, you can give what I call “Preparatory Half Halts”. That’s a momentary closure of seat, leg and hand–Take/give, take/give, take/give.

Direct those half halts to the inside hind leg. Give the half halts when the inside hind leg is on the ground just before it’s ready to push off. You need to time these half halts when the inside hind leg is on the ground because that’s really the only time you can influence a hind leg. Once it’s in the air, it’s already committed to its flight.

Your goal is to engage the inside hind leg prior to the transition. Give three Preparatory Half Halts prior to the down transition. Let’s say, for example, that you want to go from trot to walk. When you feel the inside hind leg on the ground,
say something like, “Engage, engage, engage, walk”. Or you can say, “Now, now, now, walk”.

So you might ask me at this point, “Well how do I know when a hind leg is on the ground?” When a particular hind leg is on the ground, your horse’s hip will feel higher. You’ll feel your inside seat bone either being pushed up or being pushed forward.

When I’m getting ready to do a downward transition, I tune into my seatbones. I feel which of my seat bones is being pushed up in the air or forward.

So I get into the timing of the inside hind leg being on the ground. Then, 3 strides before the letter, I give my half halts. I’ll say, “Now, now, now, walk,” or if I’m cantering, and I want to trot, I’ll say, “Now, now, now, trot.”

It’s pretty easy to feel the inside hind leg in the walk and in the trot. In the canter, feel the moment when your seat is deepest in the saddle. It’s also the moment when your horse’s mane flips up. So you can coordinate what you see with what you feel.

That’s how I prepare for transitions so that I ride a very accurate dressage test. I know how much ground my horse covers with each stride. So, when I’m 3 strides away from where I’ll be doing a down transition, I give my 3 Preparatory Half Halts–a momentary closure of seat, leg and hand directed to the inside hind leg being on the ground.

Click here for more tips on riding dressage tests

When is My Dressage Horse Ready to Move Up to Second or Third Level?

How will you know when your dressage horse is ready to move up to Second Level or Third Level. Let’s look at some of the required dressage movements as well as the required changes in balance.

Let’s say your horse is solid at First Level. Look ahead to the Second Level movements. Check out the dressage tests. You’ll see that you need to work on shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, simple changes of lead, reinback, and turns on the haunches.

You’ll also notice that the big difference between First Level and Second Level is rather than schooling at the working gaits like you do at the Training Level and First Level, you’re now asked to show modest collection. That means the balance of your horse is more uphill. And from that modest collection, you’re asked to show medium gaits. Medium gaits are basically the lengthenings that you showed at First Level but in a more uphill balance.

By doing the lateral work with bend like shoulder-in, haunches-in and renvers, you automatically develop that slight shift of center of gravity back toward the hind legs. The shift in the center of gravity creates the degree of modest collection that you need at Second Level.

Then if you’re schooling your horse at Second Level, look ahead to Third Level. You see that you need to learn the aids and the preparation for movements like half passes and flying changes. But now, the big difference between Second Level and Third Level is that your dressage horse needs to show the difference between collected, medium and extended gaits. In other words, he needs to show three gears within each gait.

Keep in mind that medium and extended gears grow out of collection. That is, the degree to which your horse bends the joints of the hind legs and lowers his croup is the degree that his forehand comes up. His outline begins to look like a see-saw or an airplane taking off. That degree of collection determines just how good your medium extended gaits are.

So what should you work on to develop the degree of collection that you need at Third Level in order to also be able to show medium and extended gaits?

I’d suggest work in four areas to increase collection and, therefore, be able to show a clear difference between collected, medium and extended gates. Those four areas are lateral work with a bend, frequent transitions skipping a gait, decreasing size circles, and half halts.

You’ve already stared lateral work with a bend when you moved from First Level to Second level. Just remember this equation. Bend plus sideways equals engagement. Engagement refers to the bending of the joints of the hind legs. And as the joints of the hind legs bend or “fold”, the croup goes down. As a result of the croup going down, the forehand comes up.

If you bend your horse and go sideways, you’re going to shift the center of gravity back. That will create a certain degree of collection.

But there are other things that you can do to develop collection such as frequent transitions skipping a gait. For example, if you want to collect the trot, trot for 5 or 6 strides, and then halt. Then trot again for only 5 or 6 strides, and halt again. The main thing that you want to strive for during frequent transitions is that there are no dribbly walk steps in between the transitions from trot to halt and back again.

You can do the same type of transitions to collect the canter. Ride five strides of canter and then five strides of walk. Repeat this several times with no dribbly trot steps in between. As you do the down transition to the walk with your back and outside rein, visualize your horse lowering his haunches the way a dog sits down. Use this mental image to support your aids so that the croup lowers as your horse steps into the down transition.

Another very simple thing that you can do is ride smaller circles. As the arc of the circle becomes tighter, the joints of the inside hind leg bend more. Obviously, there’s more bend in the joints of the inside hind leg at 10-meters than there is at 12-meters. And there’s more bend of the joints at 8-meters than there is at 10-meters. So by decreasing the size of your circles while making sure your horses spine directly overlaps that arc, your horse shifts his center of gravity back.

The final thing you can do to collect your horse is half halts. Collection is the sixth and final ingredient in the training scale.

I like to give three half halts (a hardly visible, almost simultaneous co-ordinated action of the seat, the legs and the hands) in a row–take/give, take/give, take/give.

Be sure to time the half halts when the hind leg you want to influence is on the ground. That’s because the only time you can influence a hind leg is when it’s on the ground just before it pushes off. You can feel when a hind leg is on the ground because your corresponding seatbone feels like it’s pushed “up” or “forward”.

When you give the half halts, focus on two things.
1.With each half halt, decrease the amount of ground that you cover per stride.
2. Keep the same rhythm and tempo as you shorten the strides.

The half halts shift the horse’s center of gravity back. When you trot or canter forward, be sure to maintain the same balance you achieved during your half halts. You don’t want to collect your horse with half halts, and then charge forward. If you do, your horse will unload his hind legs and shift his balance to the forehand.

To sum up, following the tests gives you a good general program to decide if your dressage horse is ready to move up to Second Level or Third Level. Check out what’s coming up next, and start to add in little bits of what’s in the next level. In that way, you’ll systematically and progressively add new work. Your horse won’t even realize that he’s being asked to do anything more difficult.

Click here for more help with dressage test levels.

Ride Your Dressage Horse From Half Halt to Half Halt

The secret to riding your dressage horse like a professional is to ride from half halt to half halt rather than from movement to movement. The half halt is your connective tissue between the dressage movements. The half halts are what make your ride or dressage test look like it flows seamlessly like a dance.

One of Olympian Robert Dover’s favorite sayings is, “Amateurs ride from movement to movement. Professionals ride from half halt to half halt.”

So when you think about your ride, don’t focus on the individual dressage movements such as, “I do a 10 meter circle here, and then I do a leg-yield there. After that, I do a lengthening across the diagonal.” Instead, think, “Do a half halt to prepare for the turn from the centerline to the circle. Give another half halt to balance my horse before I start the leg yield. Give another half halt to coil the spring of the hind legs so my horse can “boing” into the lengthening.”

So, think of the half halt as the doorway through which you do every change of gait, movement, or bend. Without half halts, your ride will just look like chopped up individual dressage movements.

Click here for more info on dressage half halts.

When Is My First Level Dressage Horse Ready to Move up to Second Level and Beyond?

Are you confused about whether or not your First Level Dressage Horse is ready to move up to Second Level? Here are some guidelines.

Let’s say your dressage horse is solid at First Level. Look ahead to the Second Level movements. Check out the dressage tests. You’ll see that you need to work on shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, simple changes of lead, reinback, and turns on the haunches.

You’ll also notice that the big difference between First and Second Level is rather than schooling at the working gaits like you do at the Training Level and First Level, you’re now asked to show modest collection. That means the balance of your horse is more uphill. And from that modest collection, you’re asked to show medium gaits. Medium gaits are basically the lengthenings that you showed at First Level but in a more uphill balance.

By doing the lateral work with bend like shoulder-in, haunches-in and renvers, you automatically develop that slight shift of center of gravity back toward the hind legs. The shift in the center of gravity creates the degree of modest collection that you need at Second Level.

Then if you’re schooling your horse at Second Level, look ahead to Third Level. You see that you need to learn the aids and the preparation for movements like half passes and flying changes. But now, the big difference between Second Level and Third Level is that your horse needs to show the difference between collected, medium and extended gaits. In other words, he needs to show three gears within each gait.

Keep in mind that medium and extended gears grow out of collection. That is, the degree to which your horse bends the joints of the hind legs and lowers his croup is the degree that his forehand comes up. His outline begins to look like a see-saw or an airplane taking off. That degree of collection determines just how good your medium extended gaits are.

So what should you work on to develop the degree of collection that you need at Third Level in order to also be able to show medium and extended gaits?

I’d suggest work in four areas to increase collection and, therefore, be able to show a clear difference between collected, medium and extended gates. Those four areas are lateral work with a bend, frequent transitions skipping a gait, decreasing size circles, and collecting half halts.

You’ve already stared lateral work with a bend when you moved from First Level to Second level. Just remember this equation. Bend plus sideways equals engagement. Engagement refers to the bending of the joints of the hind legs. And as the joints of the hind legs bend or “fold”, the croup goes down. As a result of the croup going down, the forehand comes up.

If you bend your horse and go sideways, you’re going to shift the center of gravity back. That will create a certain degree of collection.

But there are other things that you can do to develop collection such as frequent transitions skipping a gait. For example, if you want to collect the trot, trot for 5 or 6 strides, and then halt. Then trot again for only 5 or 6 strides, and halt again. The main thing that you want to strive for during frequent transitions is that there are no dribbly walk steps in between the transitions from trot to halt and back again.

You can do the same type of transitions to collect the canter. Ride five strides of canter and then five strides of walk. Repeat this several times with no dribbly trot steps in between. As you do the down transition to the walk with your back and outside rein, visualize your horse lowering his haunches the way a dog sits down. Use this mental image to support your aids so that the croup lowers as your horse steps into the down transition.

Another very simple thing that you can do is ride smaller circles. As the arc of the circle becomes tighter, the joints of the inside hind leg bend more. Obviously, there’s more bend in the joints of the inside hind leg at 10-meters than there is at 12-meters. And there’s more bend of the joints at 8-meters than there is at 10-meters. So by decreasing the size of your circles while making sure your horses spine directly overlaps that arc, your horse shifts his center of gravity back.

The final thing you can do is “collecting half halts”. I’ve talked a lot about “connecting half halts”, or the connecting aids, which is the third ingredient of the training scale, but collection is the sixth and final ingredient in the training scale.

With collecting half halts, I like to give three half halts (a hardly visible, almost simultaneous co-ordinated action of the seat, the legs and the hands) in a row–take/give, take/give, take/give.

Be sure to time the half halts when the hind leg you want to influence is on the ground. That’s because the only time you can influence a hind leg is when it’s on the ground just before it pushes off. You can feel when a hind leg is on the ground because your corresponding seatbone feels like it’s pushed “up” or “forward”.

When you give those collecting half halts, focus on two things.
1.With each collecting half halt, decrease the amount of ground that you cover per stride.
2. Keep the same rhythm and tempo as you shorten the strides.

The “collecting half halts” shift the horse’s center of gravity back. When you trot or canter forward, be sure to maintain the same balance you achieved during your collecting half halts. You don’t want to collect your horse with half halts, and then charge forward. If you do, your horse will unload his hind legs and shift his balance to the forehand.

To sum up, following the dressage tests gives you a good general program for advancing from First Level to Second Level to Third Level and even higher. Check out what’s coming up next, and start to add in little bits of what’s in the next level. In that way, you’ll systematically and progressively add new work. Your horse won’t even realize that he’s being asked to do anything more difficult.

Click here for more help with First Second Level Dressage.

Are You Making This Deadly Mistake To Get Your Dressage Horse On the Bit?

Do you saw left and right on your dressage horse’s mouth to get him “on the bit”?

If you “saw” on your horse’s mouth by alternating squeezing and releasing
with your hands, you’re riding your horse from front to back. He might look
like he’s “on the bit” because his head is down and his nose is on the
vertical, but you don’t have an honest connection from back to front.

The only part of your horse’s body that you can affect is his jaw. Moving the
bit in his mouth encourages him to chew. When he chews, he flexes in the
jaw.

So, if all you do is saw on the bit, all you have control over is a flexed
jaw. You can’t control the rest of your horse’s body.

Also, if you just flex his jaw, your horse will “come off the bit” when you
ask him to do something like a transition.

The reality is that he was never on the bit to begin with. All you had was a
flexed jaw.

To put your dressage horse honestly on the bit, close both legs to add power from
behind as if you’re doing a lengthening. When your horse “arrives” at your
outside hand, close that hand in a fist to capture, contain, and recycle the
power back to the hind legs. Do this for 3 full seconds.

THEN, lastly you can vibrate or squeeze on the inside rein for two reasons:
1. To keep his neck straight (so it doesn’t bend to the outside).
2. To move the bit, and ask him to flex in the jaw.

So to get your dressage horse on the bit, never do with two hands what you can do with one hand (move the bit).
And you have the other hand left over for the more important job of
recycling power back to the hind legs.

Click here for more help on putting a horse on the bit.

How To Do A Good Free Walk For Dressage

Dressage riders often struggle doing a good free walk with their horses. What follows are some tips to help you with the free walk as well as the transitions in and out of the it.

1. What is the free walk?
In dressage, the free walk is a gait of relaxation.

2. What should it look like?

* Your horse should lengthen his frame and lower his head and neck so he looks like he’s going to graze. His poll is lower than his withers.
* He should open the angle at his throatlatch so his nose points a bit forward, and he looks like he’s stretching toward the bit.
* His strides become longer so he overtracks to a greater degree.

3. How should you do the transition at the beginning of the free walk?

PREPARATION is the key to getting a good free walk in dressage. You should prepare for it the same way you prepare for the “stretchy” circle in the trot.

* Use “connecting aids” for 3-4 seconds on the short side while you’re still in medium walk.
* To give “connecting aids”, create energy by closing both calves as if you’re asking for a lengthening. But don’t let your horse lengthen.
* Instead, close your outside hand in a fist to capture, contain, and recycle that energy back to the hind legs.
* Keep your legs and outside hand closed for 3-4 seconds.
* While closing your legs and outside hand, vibrate or squeeze and release on your inside rein so your horse doesn’t bend his neck to the outside.
* As you turn onto the diagonal, relax your legs, and open your fingers so your horse can chew the reins out of your hands.

4. How should you do the transition back to the medium walk?

* Use the same “connecting aids” you used to prepare for the free walk.
* While the reins are still long, press lightly with your calves.
* As you shorten the reins, keep your new outside hand closed in a fist and squeeze and release with your new inside hand.

5. What if your horse is lazy?
If your horse doesn’t march with good energy, “breathe” your legs during the free walk. To “breathe” your legs:

* Take your legs off of his sides.
* Move them an inch or two back, and place them on lightly again.

“Breathing” your legs does two things. If you’ve been gripping, your horse is probably numb to your legs. Taking your legs off allows you to put them on again lightly so he feels them. Moving your legs back puts them closer to your horse’s “engine” and reminds him to use his hind legs actively.

6. What if your dressage horse wants to jig during the free walk?

* If your horse wants to jig, do several transitions to the halt.
* Praise your horse after each halt.
* Soon he’ll learn to anticipate stopping or slowing down.
* Then you can use just a little bit of your “stopping aids” to remind him to stay in a four-beat flat-footed walk as you make your way across the diagonal.
* If he tends to jig in the free walk when you pick up the reins at the end of the diagonal, halt first. Then, pick up the reins in the halt. Doing so will train him to stay slow when you do the transition for real.